


Photograph

by crescendmoon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Art Student AU, Deaf!Hanzo, M/M, Photography AU, background genyatta - Freeform, mentions of reaper76 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-14 08:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14131689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crescendmoon/pseuds/crescendmoon
Summary: In Hanzo's world, sound doesn't exist. Photography was how he normally told his story, and recently the subject of his photos has been Jesse McCree, a stranger who ended up in the same photography class.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is for the McHanzo Big Bang on Tumblr. Hope you all like it!
> 
> Chapter 1 is told in Hanzo's POV.
> 
> Text inside < > is sign language.
> 
> [This is the art to go with my fic](http://hiddeninthunder.tumblr.com/post/172366281044/art-for-photograph-a-mchanzo-story-written-by)! Done by the lovely hiddeninthunder~

The first time Hanzo saw Jesse McCree, it was in the campus arboretum his fourth year in college, on the first day of classes. He never believed in love at first sight, no that line of thinking was far too simple to explain what he felt in that moment. More than just a crush, it was also intrigue and curiosity that drew him to this man; the fact that he wore a cowboy hat despite them not being in the southwest, or that booming laughter that rocked the surroundings like an earthquake. And then that cute soul patch beneath his lip…okay, so maybe Hanzo was smitten. Which is why, with a camera in hand, he felt the urge to take a photo of his affections. It gave him much more confidence, zooming in through the lens and seeing the man’s face and all of its perfections and imperfections without having to physically walk up to and introduce himself. No, he had nowhere near the amount of confidence to do something like that…especially since it would be rather difficult to do considering that he couldn’t even speak.

It wasn’t his voice that was the problem; it was his ears. He lost his hearing at the age of three, when he attempted to climb on the second floor railing of his home and fell to the first floor below. He was always the type of child who loved to climb things; his father used to call him his ‘little ninja’. But his luck had to run out eventually. Upon being taken to the hospital, his parents learned that he sustained severe head trauma, most notably to the side of his head where the brunt of the impact occurred. In fact, Hanzo was lucky to be alive; it was touch and go for a while, but after a few weeks he was deemed to be in stable condition. His mother, pregnant at the time, was so stressed out that she had to be admitted soon after. The stress proved to be so great that it sent her into premature labor, and on the day that her son woke up from his comatose state, she had given birth to a small baby boy whom she named Genji.

The first sign that something was wrong occurred during a visitation. His father walked in first, followed by his mother holding his new baby brother in her arms. Hanzo didn’t notice them; he didn’t even know anyone was in the room until his father patted his back, which scared him half to death. His scream was ragged and hoarse, and his voice was broken and monotone. After a doctor examined him, he confirmed that Hanzo had lost his hearing due to the head trauma. Hanzo saw his mother crying and his father looking sad, but he couldn’t understand why. It wasn’t until the next year came around that he finally understood; when he started preschool and couldn’t hear a single word from his teacher or peers. He could tell that the other children were making fun of him by the pointing and open mouths in the shape of smiles, but he couldn’t hear the assumed horrible words being spoken. Maybe that was a blessing, but he also knew that if he could hear like a ‘normal’ person, they probably wouldn’t be making fun of him in the first place.

He went to two different therapists on a regular basis: one who knew American Sign Language, and another who knew Japanese Sign Language. His parents wished for him to be able to communicate in both, just as they both knew how to speak English and Japanese. He was also taught to read lips in both languages, although Japanese lip reading proved to be far more difficult for him. But still, he persevered and eventually became fluent in both sign languages as well as lip reading.

As soon as Hanzo’s brother, Genji, was old enough to speak and read, he was told of his big brother’s condition. Genji demanded that he too be taught sign language so he could communicate with Hanzo; it was a lot more difficult to teach the rambunctious child, but he too eventually succeeded and was able to hold a conversation. The brothers were almost inseparable; Genji idolized Hanzo, and Hanzo trusted Genji more than anyone on Earth. In fact, besides their parents, Genji is the only one who knows what Hanzo’s voice sounds like.

Which brings this back to the present; Hanzo snapping away at the unassuming model standing a couple dozen feet away. The click of the shutter going off in rapid succession, one after another, hoping to get that one perfect pose. Hanzo was so entranced in fact, that he didn’t even notice the two angry young men beside him.

He wasn’t aware of their presence until one of them violently shoved him. He staggered but regained his balance and glared at the stranger; both of them were yelling at him, and judging from the lip movements, they were apparently trying to get his attention for a while, saying that he was in their way. Hanzo scoffed at them; it would be pointless to attempt to hold a conversation. He looked over his shoulder for a split second to see if that man in the cowboy hat was still there, but apparently the two strangers couldn’t stand being ignored. One of them shoved him; he lost his balance and fell into a shallow pond, muddy water and plant matter getting all over his clothes and skin. Luckily his camera was still safe, but as he tried to get up, the two assholes held him in place; he couldn’t scream, so all he could do was fight back. He threw a punch, but one of them grabbed his hair and pulled hard. He winced as the pain coursed through to his neck. He could see one of them reeling back his fist; he closed his eyes and braced for impact, yet nothing came. He thought he would have gotten a swift punch to his face for doing _something_ to piss them off, and yet he felt no more pain. Even the hand that was originally pulling on his hair was gone. He opened his eyes…and there he was. The man with the cowboy hat staring down at him, with a hand extended. His lips were moving slowly. “Take my hand.”

Hanzo hesitantly took it; the warmth of the hand was both welcoming and overwhelming. He could feel his heart beating at a quickened pace, and that was just from the touch. The smile the man shot him almost melted him right then and there.

“Want me to take you to the health center?” The man’s lips asked.

Hanzo shook his head. He wanted to say that he was alright, that he was just covered in mud and algae. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. He expected that to happen. With no other way to communicate, he quickly bowed his head to the man, grabbed his camera, and ran off. He was beyond embarrassed at what had just happened. He didn’t even look back to see the look of shock that was bound to be on the cowboy’s face.

.

.

.

<You are beyond hopeless, Brother.> Genji signed before taking a bite of his roast beef sandwich. <That could have been your chance to ask the cowboy out and you missed it. Ran right past you just like the horse that your man most likely rides.>

Hanzo glared at Genji. <He’s not MY man. He only helped me after he saw how helpless I was. He probably thinks I’m weak.>

Genji rose an eyebrow. <What part of you even implies that you’re weak? It can’t possibly be the undercut or bridge piercing, because I still remember that time in high school when you attempted to talk to that one girl and she got spooked and ran. And then there’s those muscles…seriously, I’m sure you being weak is the LAST thing on that guy’s mind.>

<…The cowboy had muscles, too…and chiseled cheek bones…> Hanzo signed while blushing.

Genji burst out laughing. <God you are too far gone for me to save you. Lovesick to the max.>

Hanzo scowled. <I know that your job in life is to make mine miserable, but the least you could do is have some sympathy.>

<I DO have sympathy, honest!> Genji huffed. <Or have you forgotten my dilemma with the guy I’M crushing on? God is it even a crush at this point? Every time I see him I feel my chest implode on itself.>

<Oh now you’re just being dramatic.> Hanzo rolled his eyes. <Maybe you should, oh I don’t know…tell him how you feel? You’re good at that.>

Genji almost believed him until he saw the small creep its way onto Hanzo’s face. <You’re making fun of me!>

Hanzo poked him on the forehead before signing. <No offense, Brother, but you always had a habit of laying it on a little thick. Remember that one time in your senior year of high school?>

<I don’t know what you’re talking about.>

<You broke into the school’s announcement room and confessed your love through the intercom.> Hanzo rolled his eyes. <I had to come pick you up from the principal’s office, and that guy you confessed to pretended you never existed.>

<Okay so maybe I DO remember that. That was one time.>

Hanzo stared at him with a flat expression. <How about in middle school when you told that girl in your class you would get her name tattooed on your ass when you’re older? Or in your first year of college, when you made your entire final project for painting a declaration of love to give to your new crush? Or how about that time you—”

<Okay okay I get it!> Genji groaned in misery. <What is this, make Genji irreparably embarrassed day or something?>

<My point is…> Hanzo’s signing was softer than usual. <It’s always been so easy for you to confess your feelings. Why is now any different?>

Genji stared at Hanzo for a moment, before remembering he needed to say something back. <I don’t want to mess this one up! I think this one might be more serious…call me cliché but, I’ve never felt this way before!>

Genji made an overdramatic scene of falling into Hanzo’s lap, back first, with his arm covering his face, and when Hanzo laughed and pushed him off, Genji laughed back. It has certainly been a long while since they’ve been able to act like brothers.

<Back to the matter at hand though.> Genji laughed it off and tried signing as best he could. <You are not me. And I want to help you because you’re my brother, and I love you. But you need to be the one to put everything in motion! You’re confident in literally everything else to an almost conceited degree, so why not your love life, too?>

Hanzo smiled and opened his mouth. “T-Tha—k…you…Ge—ji…”

Genji hugged him before bringing his face back so Hanzo could see his lips. “I’ll always be here for you, okay?”

Hanzo nodded graciously before picking his book bag from the floor and walking out of their shared apartment room. The walk to his Creative Photography class wasn’t too far, thanks to his apartment being just across the street from the visual arts center, but he didn’t want to risk being late on the first day; not only was that a bad impression for the professor, but it would also mean he would likely be dropped from the class, and that was unacceptable.

He was rather excited for the class, actually. He finally managed to get in, after an entire year of being waitlisted with no luck; and not only that, but the professor for this class, Ms. Ana Amari, was perhaps one of his most favorite professors. He had her for Beginning Photography and she was not only understanding of his situation, but also had a nice balance of being lenient and strict which Hanzo liked. She taught in an easy to understand way, even for him, but her classes weren’t so easy that one could do whatever they wanted and turn in “half-assed” work.

When he walked into the classroom, the first thing he did was greet the professor with a bow.

Ana stood up from her desk and smiled. “It’s good to see you in my class again, Hanzo.” Her lips moved slow at a steady pace. “Today is just a syllabus day, but starting next class a translator will be here for you, alright?”

Hanzo nodded and signed <Thank you.>

That was one of the few signs Ana knew, along with a <You’re welcome.> she signed back.

He sat in a seat where he could easily see the projector as well as close to the professor’s desk, as he’s always done for the past three years. The closer it came for class to start, more students began to trickle in. Hanzo couldn’t help but notice that the other students had at least one friend in the class to talk to; Hanzo had no one. He barely had any friends in college in general. Not counting his brother, who was a graphic design student, he only had maybe two people he considered good friends; neither of which were art students. He had to take most of the blame for that; he was never a sociable person, and being deaf on top of that didn’t exactly help matters. Not that he minded not having friends in a class. If anything, it just allowed him to actually concentrate in class—

A man with a cowboy hat entered the room, and the color basically drained from his face. It was the person he had become smitten with at first sight, the one from the arboretum. He saw the man conversing with Ana, both of them laughing over something, and all Hanzo had going on in his mind was “Fuck me fuck me fuck me.” At that point, he wasn’t sure which definition of the phrase he was leaning more towards. Probably both, he realized with much chagrin.

Even worse? Said cowboy decided to sit right next to him. He flashed Hanzo a quick smile, and Hanzo instantly knew that his semester would not be going smoothly. When he noticed Ana standing up and talking to the class, he brought his attention onto her. It was only a syllabus day, he thought. He could leave early, hurry back to his apartment, and confide in his brother once more since he knew Genji didn’t have classes today.

A tap on his shoulder broke him out of his thoughts and looked to his left to see the cowboy handing him a packet of papers. He sent the man a curt smile in thanks as he took a syllabus and passed the rest on, although his heartbeat failed to steady. What was it about this accursed man that caused him to feel this way? He didn’t even notice everyone was staring at him until after Mrs. Amari stood in front of him, causing him to almost jump back in surprise. She had a look of concern on her face, whereas everyone else in the room looked at him with a mixture of confusion and apathy.

“It’s not like you to not be paying attention…” Mrs. Amari’s lips spoke. “I asked you if you would like to leave, now that I’ll be going over the syllabus?”

Hanzo had never felt more embarrassed in his life, and judging from the suspicious looks a few of his peers were giving him, they might as well have screamed ‘why does HE get to leave early?? What makes HIM so special?’ Still, Hanzo just curtly nodded, not even daring to venture a glance at the cowboy before hastily scurrying out of the room.

.

.

.

<Oh my god this is hilarious!> Genji signed sloppily, unable to control his laughter. <So not only did your knight in shining armor save you from some assholes, but now he’s in your photo class too?! He’s definitely your soulmate, Brother.>

Hanzo glared daggers at him. <I’m glad that my life is a form of entertainment for you.>

Genji wiped the small droplets of tears that formed in the corners of his eyes. <C’mon, don’t be like that. I’m happy for you, really! This could be good for you, you never know.>

<And how on earth would this be good for me?> Hanzo deadpanned. <He’s so distracting, what with that outfit of his.>

<Are you sure it’s the outfit that’s distracting you?> Genji waggled his eyebrows. <Face it, you would much rather see him without—>

Hanzo threw a pillow at Genji’s face, his own face turning a bright shade of red.

<I KNEW IT!> Genji signed and threw the pillow back at his brother. <Now I just have to see this man with my own eyes. See what kind of person my brother is into.>

<Disgusting.> Hanzo signed. <At least you have no problem wooing people you’re smitten with. I don’t have a chance.>

Genji rose an eyebrow. <I’ll have you know it’s not as easy as you think it is. I told you about the guy I’m into, right? He’s a foreign exchange student from Nepal that’s in my life drawing class, and I’ve been flirting…TRYING…to flirt with him for a while now. All of my flirting has gone completely over his head.>

<Or maybe he’s just trying to let you off nicely and pretend to not be interested.>

Genji gasped. <No way. How could he NOT love me? I’m a catch, aren’t I?>

Hanzo rolled his eyes, not even responding to such a statement. <How about instead of flirting, try and befriend the poor guy first.>

<Already on it. We’re going to work on a homework assignment together. Just some café sketches.> Genji smiled.

<I’m happy for you.> Hanzo huffed. <Just don’t drag me into any of your shenanigans like last time. I’d rather not be on the receiving end of another punch meant for you.>

Genji laughed. <I said I was sorry about that! Besides, I think you messed him up more than the other way around.>

The brothers shared a few extra words with each other before Hanzo decided that he desperately needed something to calm his mind. No offense to Genji, but he often made Hanzo’s blood boil more than calm him. So that was how Hanzo ended up at a small coffee shop just a few blocks down from the university. He walked in and was immediately anxious over how busy it was. He had forgotten that as it was later in the day, most students were probably either on break from classes or done with them altogether. His brother was usually there to translate, but seeing as he wasn’t, Hanzo would have to figure out a way to explain what he wanted.

He ventured up to the counter, where the barista manning the register stared at him with a bored expression. The girl looked like she really didn’t want to be there.

“How may I help you, sir?” The girl’s lips spoke rather swiftly. Hanzo could barely keep up with it.

<Uh…> He started to sign, before pointing at the item he wanted on the menu. The girl just rose an eyebrow.

“I can’t ring you up if you don’t say what you want.”

Hanzo grew irritated and was about to reach for his phone, when he felt his pocket and realized there was nothing there. Of course he had to have forgotten his phone at the apartment. He had no way to communicate with the girl otherwise, and was about to just leave when he noticed another worker putting away supplies in a back room. His eyes lit up as he recognized who it was, and pointed to her. The barista looked confused and frustrated.

“Look if you’re not going to order, please leave?” The barista stated rather rudely. Thankfully, that harsh tone got the other girl’s attention and she hastily ran up to the counter.

“Hanzo!” The girl shrieked.

Hanzo smiled a bit. <Good to see you, Hana.>

Hana told the other barista something Hanzo couldn’t make out, but it got the girl to leave with a roll of her eyes.

<Sorry about her, she’s new.> Hana signed with an apologetic expression. <Did you want to order anything?>

Hanzo nodded. <Vanilla Latte.>

Hana nodded, and a male barista who heard the order started to make it. He said something with a relieved expression to Hana that Hanzo couldn’t make out, but it got Hana to giggle.

<He wanted me to thank you for having such a simple order. The last few students to come in here had these outrageous demands like two shots of espresso with a light hint of cinnamon. Or a soy latte with LOW fat, not non-fat.> She caught herself before she went on a tangent. <I’m about to go on break, so I’ll hang with you until it’s over!> Hana walked around the counter to join Hanzo on the other side. Together, they sat down at a small table by a window, the sun shining through on them both.

<So how’ve you been? Haven’t seen you on campus in a while, but I figured you were too busy with art stuff.> Hana signed with extra caution.

Hanzo smiled. <Your signing has gotten better since the last time.>

Hana practically beamed. <Oh I’m so glad to hear that! I’ve been practicing nonstop since I met you so I’m happy to know I’m improving!>

Hanzo met Hana about a year ago, when Hana first entered the university as a freshman. They  met in the cafeteria when they quite literally bumped into each other; Hanzo couldn’t hear Hana’s fast-approaching heels running down the hall, and Hana wasn’t watching where she was going, so they collided, sending papers and bags of snacks flying. After a bunch of apologies and introductions, they ended up befriending each other.

<So anyways, what’s up with you? Anything new happen?> Hana asked with much curiosity.

<Nothing much…just dealing with my brother’s hopeless romantic antics as always.>

Hana laughed. <Oh no, not again.>

<Seriously. He thinks himself to be so smooth, but all I see is a lovestruck fool.> Hanzo rolled his eyes.

<And what about you? Anyone catch YOUR fancy?> Hana grinned.

Hanzo grumbled. <What did Genji tell you.>

Hana giggled. <Nothing much, just that you had a cowboy fetish and wanted to see him in all his naked glory.>

Hanzo’s eyebrow twitched in anger. He was going to KILL Genji when he got back. <It’s just an annoying…attraction that I’m hoping will pass as soon as possible. I’ve no time for trivial pursuits such as romance like my brother.>

<Oh give me a break.> Hana huffed. <You’re just saying that because you don’t want to admit your feelings. Hell, my boyfriend goes to a college in an entirely different state and is busy pursuing a music career and he still finds time to talk to me whenever he can.>

<That’s because your boyfriend has enough energy in his body to power an entire city.> Hanzo recalled the one time he met Lucio, he was visiting from New York City and even after an entire evening of partying and DJ’ing, he still managed to have enough energy to drag their small group of friends out bar hopping. That was one of the few times Hanzo slept in well into the afternoon.

<Fair enough.> Hana giggled and was about to sign something else when her attention was brought to something else. Judging from her line of sign, Hanzo assumed it was another customer that had walked in. When he looked to see who it was, his eyes widened to see that it was none other than Jesse McCree, and some girl that he didn’t know. Inside him, he could feel something drop in the pit of his stomach. Girlfriend, perhaps? He tried to shake his mind away from it. Of COURSE Jesse wasn’t single…who in their right mind would allow someone as wonderful as Jesse to be single anyways? Hanzo frowned but kept a stoic façade. Or at least he tried to, until he noticed Jesse’s attention was brought to him instead of Hana.

At this point, Hanzo wasn’t sure whether it was a blessing or a curse that he could read lips.

“Hey, Hanzo! Fancy meetin’ you here.” Jesse grinned. “So do ya come here often?”

Hanzo rose an eyebrow at that question and signed, <Is that one of your lame pick-up lines?> with a deadpanned expression.

Jesse was, understandably, confused, while the unknown woman beside him seemed more amused than anything. Funny, did the woman understand sign language or was she reacting more towards Jesse’s confusion?

“Sorry Darlin’, don’t understand sign language I’m afraid.” Jesse scratched his head with an expression that looked kind of like…regret? Sorrow?

All of a sudden, Hana jolted back into the picture. “I can translate. Hanzo asked you if what you said was one of your lame pick-up lines.”

Jesse looked dumbfounded, and the unknown woman laughed. “Not gonna lie, Jesse, that did sound like something you would say to someone you fancied.”

“Har har har.” Jesse huffed. “I don’t sound THAT cheesy, do I?”

“Was that a rhetorical question?” The woman smirked.

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Fuck off, Fa-EE-ah.”

Hanzo’s brows creased together in confusion. He was almost 100 percent certain that he mistranslated that word just spoken. It didn’t help that Jesse’s manner of speech made it more difficult than usual to read his lips.

<I’m sorry, what was your name?>

Hana got the message. “Hanzo is asking what your name was!”

“Ah, my apologies.” The woman smiled. “My name is Far-EE-yah.”

Oh god, for some reason it was even harder to understand her lips than Jesse’s. Did she have an accent? It was entirely plausible. Hanzo looked to Hana and asked if she could spell it out. Hana nodded and asked the woman to spell out her name; her expression had hints of pity, which made Hanzo feel an unhealthy mix of insecurity and anger, but this wasn’t some new phenomenon. He has had to go through this his whole life.

When the woman passed him her phone, her name was written there, clear as day:

Fareeha.

Hanzo nodded his head to show his thanks. That certainly made more sense than what his mind had come up with. So maybe his assumption was right that the woman did have an accent. The name sounded Arabic…actually, come to think of it, this woman looked similar to Ms. Amari upon closer inspection. Were they related in some way?

He was so lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realize that he was being spoken to until Hana nudged his shoulder and saw both Jesse and Fareeha staring at him. He felt a little embarrassed to say the least.

<I’m sorry, could you repeat that?>

Hana smiled. “If you want him to know you’re speaking to him, get his attention and speak with very clearly. Try not to slur your words together, okay Jesse? And make sure your mouth is in his line of sight. He can’t read your lips if he can’t see them.”

Jesse scratched his head with a bashful smile. “My bad. I was wonderin’ that since we’re in the same photo class, we can work on projects together? If not that’s cool, just a suggestion.”

Hanzo frowned. He normally preferred to work on school work by himself, but…it did give him an excuse to be closer to Jesse. Wait, wasn’t he taken? Hanzo grimaced at the thought. <Only if you don’t slow me down, Cowboy.>

Hana snickered. “He said _only if you don’t slow me down, Cowboy_.”

Fareeha busted over laughing, and Jesse grinned. “Cross my heart, sweetheart.”

Sweetheart…did Hanzo read that right? He could feel his cheeks heat up at the thought.

“…Jesse, I think it’s time we left.” Fareeha nudged Jesse’s shoulder. “You wouldn’t want to keep Gabe waiting, huh?”

Jesse groaned. “He’s probably still with Jack though…I’d rather not walk in on them making out in the classroom again. I still have nightmares from that one time.”

“That’s a sacrifice you’re just gonna have to make.” Fareeha nudged Jesse closer to the door. “It was nice meeting you, Hanzo. And nice to see you again, Hana.”

Hana waved back at them as they were leaving, then nudged Hanzo’s shoulder. <She saved you, I think.>

Hanzo furrowed his brow. <…Of what?>

<From yourself. Your face is as red as a tomato. L-O-L.> Hana spelt out the last part with a cat-like grin.

Hanzo sighed. <I feel like an even bigger fool than Genji right now. Is Fareeha Jesse’s…significant other?>

The face Hana made was priceless. <What? No way! Fareeha and Jesse are like siblings. Not blood-related, but their parents have been friends since before they were born!>

Oh, so that’s what it was. Hanzo was secretly very relieved to hear that. Not that he would try to make a move himself, however.

<I’ve never seen you so lovesick, Han.> Hana said thoughtfully. <I’m happy for you, really.>

Hanzo smiled sadly. <I’ll admit I’ve never felt this way before, and I loathe the day I’ll take any of my brother’s romantic advice to heart.>

Hana giggled. <Give him some credit! _Something_ must be working for him to have had so many significant others in his life so far! >

Hanzo rolled his eyes. <He calls it _body language_. I call it crude. >

They had a nice laugh out of that, and bid each other farewell when it started to get dark outside. On the way back to the apartment, Hanzo stopped to take some photos of any flowers or birds he happened to walk past…all while hoping that Jesse was there to make the scene better.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse learns a little more about Hanzo. Zenyatta and Fareeha both know more than they're letting on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2 is in Hanzo's POV.
> 
> Text in < > is sign language.

It’s been a few months since the new semester had started, and hardly anything had changed in terms of friendship or otherwise; at least, in Hanzo’s view. Jesse still felt unapproachable, and Hanzo was unwilling to break through. It was even more noticeable in their class, where Jesse wouldn’t even try to talk to him. And while in normal circumstances he wouldn’t have minded (he usually loathed when people would try to talk to him in classes that weren’t related to the curriculum, after all), he almost felt like Jesse was intentionally ignoring him. To test this theory, he gently poked Jesse’s arm; Jesse jumped a little at the contact, but he grinned and mouthed a ‘what?’. Okay so maybe Hanzo was just overthinking things. Is this how Genji felt on a daily basis? He shoved that thought deep within his mind. When he saw Jesse’s expression fall slightly, he realized he forgot to answer him. Quick Hanzo, think of something!

He hastily wrote something in his notebook and passed it to Jesse.

_Did you want to hang out after class?_

Jesse read it and picked up his pencil.

_Sure thing, Darlin’._

Hanzo couldn’t help but chuckle a bit; even the man’s writing sounded like it belonged in a Spaghetti Western. Did Jesse write like this on his homework, too? He sure hoped not; that hardly seemed like proper writing etiquette for classes. But regardless, he was secretly very happy…at least until he remembered he told Genji they would grab lunch together. Jesse wouldn’t mind, right? Sure, Genji might be a little difficult to get used to at first, but it wasn’t like he was an asshole or anything. Of course, he also didn’t take into account how GENJI would react; it caused Hanzo to grimace slightly.

After the class had ended and Ana gave out their homework assignments, they walked out of the classroom together, though not without slight awkwardness. Jesse still didn’t know much sign language save for the basic ‘hello’, ‘thank you’, and ‘you’re welcome’, but at the very least he tried his best. Reading lips was perfectly fine for Hanzo, and if he wished to say anything he could just write it down via text or on paper. They somehow made it work despite the glaring language barrier, which they were both thankful for.

Hanzo took out his phone and began typing.

_I forgot I promised my brother I would meet up with him for lunch before his class. Do you mind his company?_

He showed it to Jesse, who shrugged with a grin. “Not unless he is as stiff and no-nonsense as you.”

Hanzo chuckled.

_Not in a million years._

Genji told him he would wait by their student union, although as expected, Genji was once again the one to keep Hanzo waiting. He was in no way surprised; Genji always did enjoy being ‘fashionably late’ even though Genji’s fashion sense was questionable at best. So Hanzo and Jesse stood by the entrance; Jesse took occasional glances at his phone, while Hanzo…Hanzo was a wreck. The swift glances he took in Jesse’s direction were subtle, and his expression was neutral enough, but he couldn’t help but be entranced by the man standing beside him. Hanzo mentally kicked himself for acting like such a…high school teenager who got asked out for the first time. And yet, somehow Jesse just had this strong effect on him.

Jesse suddenly looked at Hanzo, who stiffened. God he hoped he wasn’t caught staring.

“So what’s your brother like, anyway?”

It took Hanzo moment to regain his composure. That question was simple enough, and it didn’t seem like Jesse noticed.

He took out his phone again.

_He’s a brat who used to dream of becoming a ninja before reality decided to kick him in the ass._

Jesse guffawed at that; a sight that utterly blew the wind out of Hanzo’s lungs.

“Sounds like a dreamer to me. Though I ain’t one to talk…”

Hanzo smirked.

_Lemme guess, you wanted to be a cowboy?_

Jesse grinned. “Damn straight. Always been fascinated with that time period. Y’know, corrals and wranglin’ outlaws and such. Though I would probably be the outlaw that needed wranglin’, if I lived in that time.”

Hanzo could see that, and it made him think of what he would be like, were he to live during the old west era. If Jesse were an outlaw, he would be…

_I would probably be a cop, then. Or are they called sheriffs?_

Jesse’s eyes brightened. “Hell yeah! I can picture you like the famous Doc Holliday, participatin’ in shootouts and corrallin’ up the bad guys. Though I can’t picture you workin’ the handlebar moustache.”

Hanzo smiled.

_You never know, I could look good in a handlebar moustache._

Jesse squinted his eyes and stared at Hanzo’s face, and it caused Hanzo to feel slightly self-conscious to say the least.

“…Mn, nope, not seein’ it. Besides, _no one_ can match Doc Holliday’s moustache.” Jesse snapped his fingers. “But I bet you could work a cowboy hat, and maybe some chaps?”

Hanzo flinched.

_Okay, that might be going too far._

“Naw, I’m already picturin’ it. You’d look like a genuine cowboy.” Jesse smiled. “Or sheriff, if you really want to…hey, wait a minute.” Jesse then pointed an accusatory finger at Hanzo’s face. “That means you’d try and catch me! I’m an outlaw, remember?”

Hanzo shook his head lightly.

_Maybe I end up seeing that there’s good in you, deep down. Or if not, I would tie you up with rope to show you who’s really in charge._

Jesse covered his mouth and looked like he was trying, and failing, to keep down a laugh.

“Wow, Han, didn’t know you had a kinky side. I normally don’t like that sorta thing, but for you…” He winked in his direction, and it was then that Hanzo realized what he just typed. His face turned bright red in seconds and he frantically texted out his message. So frantic, in fact, that he almost dropped his phone. He managed to catch it before it hit the ground, but he cursed to himself. He thrust the phone in Jesse’s direction, who had an amused look on his face.

_I didn’t mean it like that!_

Jesse waved his hand. “Relax, I know. Just kiddin’ around. That’s what friends do, right?”

They were…friends. Jesse considered him a friend, not just someone from the same class. That made Hanzo feel a little happier about the situation. Friends was more than he could have initially hoped for.

He should have been paying more attention.

Hanzo was startled out of his thoughts when Genji suddenly appeared in front of him. Genji's lips read out as an apology, which Hanzo accepted after a brief moment. Looking behind him, Hanzo could see that Genji was not alone as someone he wasn't familiar with was right behind him.

“You would not believe the shitty class I had before his, Brother.” Genji’s posture and facial expression made it look like he was letting out a frustrated growl. “You would think there wouldn’t be a dress code in college but Jesus Christ, our professor looked like she was about to faint and asked me to cover up more!” Genji gestured to his upper body. “Seriously, it’s not like I’m naked or anything!”

Hanzo sized up Genji’s attire; he was wearing a green tank top, the kind that had really big arm outlets to the point where you could see the entirety of his chest if you were in a good enough angle. Hanzo could also see part of Genji’s back from where he was standing……

Hanzo sighed.

<Didn’t you have your _Modern Japanese History_ class before this? You do realize what’s tattooed on your back, right?>

Genji scoffed and signed. <Yeah yeah I get it. She probably thinks I’m a yakuza member or something. But isn’t this considered profiling of SOME sort? And even if I WERE yakuza, why the fuck would I be in college! I’d be rolling in cash right now and kicking the shit outta delinquents, just like that one video game Hana showed me!>

Hanzo rolled his eyes. <Nevermind the fact that we aren’t in Japan.>

<EXACTLY.> Genji kept going at it. Hanzo couldn’t help but sympathize a little; right after they graduated high school, they both decided to get matching tattoos to celebrate. They both thought that a dragon-themed tattoo would best represent who they were. Hanzo chose to get a blue dragon that started on the left side of his chest and spiraled down his arm in a flurry of clouds, while Genji chose to get a green dragon that zigzagged down his back, surrounded by cherry blossoms. Come to think of it, when they arrived home and showed their father the tattoos, he did laugh and warned them they might be mistaken for yakuza if they were to visit Japan again.

Hanzo then glanced at Jesse, whom he realized must have felt confused over the sudden rapid signing. Although to his surprise, Jesse ended up forming a conversation with the man Genji had arrived with. And once he got a good look at him, Hanzo realized just how TALL the man was. Definitely taller than him, though slightly shorter than Jesse. He was also much thinner with less muscle mass…he also had a shaved head and had nine dots in the middle of his forehead…

Hanzo gave Genji a deadpanned expression. <…A monk. Really? THIS is the guy you’re pining over? You are the least pure person at this school!>

Genji quickly stopped Hanzo from signing. <He can read signs, Brother!>

<He’s not even paying attention.>

Genji then looked at his companion, then to Jesse, and gasped.

<Is that the cowboy you mentioned? Damn, I wasn’t expecting you to fall for someone so good-looking.>

Hanzo scowled. <What’s THAT supposed to mean?!>

Genji stuck out his tongue. <Nothing, just that your taste is…subpar at best, Brother. Like that guy on our high school basketball team who turned out to be a dick. Or that shy girl who acted like an obedient housewife despite being the same age as us. This is the twenty-first century.>

Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose. <If you ask me, you just like people who can dominate you.>

<Not denying anything.> Genji grinned.

Genji’s attention was then brought away from Hanzo towards the monk, who was poking his shoulder to get his attention. Hanzo still couldn’t see it; his brother falling for someone who practiced religion for a living, and a monk who somehow managed to befriend his brother of all people. Obviously the monk doesn’t know about Genji’s…endeavors that lasted until just recently, apparently.

<Oh yeah, Hanzo this is Zenyatta!> Genji enthusiastically signed. <He lives in a monastery in Nepal, but is here on a foreign exchange program. He’s currently studying medicine with a minor in history.>

Hanzo blinked at that. He didn’t think anyone who studied medicine had any free time to minor in something.

<Pleased to meet you, Hanzo.> Zenyatta signed. What shocked Hanzo even more was that he was using Japanese sign language. <I apologize for my shaky signing, I hope it’s passable.>

Hanzo hastily signed. <No, it’s fine. I was just shocked to see that you know Japanese sign language.>

Zenyatta smiled. <I have traveled to Japan many times to visit temples there…I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some orphans in my travels, a few of them in which were deaf. I wanted to communicate with them.>

Hanzo noticed Genji smiling at Zenyatta in his peripheral vision and resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He was about to sign a response, when Jesse caught his eye. Jesse was still looking at his phone, not participating in conversation at all…but then again, how could he? Hanzo suddenly felt terrible for inviting Jesse along only to not even include him.

<Do you think we can continue the conversation over food?>

Both Genji and Zenyatta agreed, with Zenyatta saying that he was surprised to feel so hungry so early in the day. While the two of them were having a rather enjoyable conversation over diets and “monk food”, Hanzo walked over to Jesse and pulled out his phone.

_I apologize for making you feel left out. We were planning on going to eat now…what do you feel like eating?_

Jesse’s eyes widened and smiled a bit. “Don’t worry ‘bout it, didn’t hurt my feelings…much.” He laughed. Hanzo wished he could hear it. “Not sure if your bro and friend are up to it, but I could kill for a good burger. If y’all don’t mind.”

Hanzo nodded and relayed the information to Genji and Zenyatta.

“Whoaaa, I like this man already!” Genji then ran towards Jesse and put an arm around his shoulder. “I know a really good burger joint just down the street! Best burgers in the city, I guarantee it.” Then something in Genji’s mind clicked. “Oh right, I’m Genji by the way. Hanzo’s younger, more amazing brother.”

That got a big laugh out of Jesse, and left Hanzo slightly confused; he didn’t quite catch Genji’s comment. That left Hanzo demanding to know what Genji said to Jesse, and both Genji AND Jesse keeping their mouths shut. Hanzo scowled, immediately regretting letting those two meet in the first place. Zenyatta patted his shoulder with sympathy.

.

.

.

“So what are you studying, Jesse?” Genji asked with a mouthful of fries.

Jesse took a bite of his double bacon avocado cheeseburger. “Mn…would ya laugh if I were to say American History with an emphasis on the Old West era?”

“…Holy shit.” Genji then turned to Hanzo. “You weren’t kidding when you said you had a cowboy in your class.” Hanzo rolled his eyes.

“Yeah yeah, laugh it up.” Jesse drank a bit of his beer.

“But wait.” Genji pointed a ketchup-dipped fry in Jesse’s direction. “Why’re you taking a photography class then?”

Jesse scratched his cheek. “That’d be my dad’s doing…said I needed some artistic culture in my life and since I can’t draw worth a damn I figured photography was the way to go.”

Hanzo could sympathize with that.  His father always said that college was the opportunity to try out different things to see what you like. Of course, Hanzo and Genji were probably more privileged to do something like take a bunch of classes, considering their financial status of high class. Especially Genji, what with his difficulties in finding his ‘true calling’ in life. That, and having not one, but TWO kids enrolled in the arts must be very expensive.

“And since my dad works at the school, not like I can lie about taking it.” Jesse groaned.

Genji squinted. “Your dad’s a teacher at our school?”

Jesse nodded. “Y’know Mr. Reyes? He mostly teaches in the History department but also teaches some health and safety classes.”

Genji gasped and almost dropped his food. “Bullshit. Your dad is the “Reaper”?! Dude, Mr. Reyes almost failed me because I didn’t follow all his instructions to the T!”

Hanzo passed his phone to Jesse.

_He also didn’t show up to half of his classes, so don’t take his evaluation of your father too seriously._

“Oi, what did you tell him. Brother, you’re supposed to be on my side!” Genji whined.

Jesse grinned. “None taken. My dad ain’t too bad once you get to know him. Don’t tell him I said this, but he’s really just a soft teddy bear with a hardened exterior.”

Genji scowled. “That’s because you live with him! He only shows his terrible side to students…damnit, I have to take one more of his classes too…”

Zenyatta crossed his arms with a wondering expression. “Why do you need another class taught by him? You’re not a history major…”

Hanzo smirked and let out a chuckle. Seeing his brother’s dumbstruck face was priceless.

“N-No reason! I just really want to learn more about our world, okay?” Genji hastily came up with an excuse on the fly, which Zenyatta looked like he bought…but Hanzo could tell Zenyatta was messing with him, like he knew more than he was letting on. God, maybe Genji picked a winner, after all. Someone who could easily mess with Genji’s mind and keep him in place.

“So Hanzo…what made you decide to go into photography?” Jesse asked thoughtfully. “No offense, but it doesn’t seem like the type of thing a guy like you’d be interested in.”

Hanzo tilted his head but smiled nonetheless and signed. Genji translated.

“A guy like me…?”

That flustered Jesse a bit. “Uh, just that when I first saw you, you seemed very standoffish and aloof…even in class you have an aura of being unapproachable and no-nonsense.” He scratched the back of his head. “You seem more like a businessman, instead of an artist.” He chose to leave out the fact that Hanzo did look rather shaken when they first met, but who wouldn’t under the circumstances the man was in.

Hanzo was silent for a moment, which caused Jesse to flinch.

“I-If you don’t wanna answer, I understand—”

Hanzo held up a hand and smiled sadly. He then began signing once again, with Genji translating.

“I guess it’s because I feel like I can tell a story with my photos. I can’t hear; it’s always been difficult for me to fit in or understand those around me one-hundred percent of the time. With photos…I can tell a story with my eyes and shutter. I no longer have to be silent. I can be who I am.”

Jesse was left speechless by the explanation, as was Zenyatta, who smiled slightly. Before Jesse could say anything, Hanzo excused himself to use the restroom. Jesse assumed, from the troubled expression on Hanzo’s face as he left, that he excused himself because he was embarrassed to say such things.

Genji let out a long sigh. “…Hanzo never had anyone he could consider to be a good friend. Acquaintances, sure, but friends were a rarity in his life.” His fists clenched. “The only friends he’s had were because they were my friends first and were understanding of his situation. A few of my friends even made an effort to learn sign language.”

Jesse’s mind was brought to the girl that worked at the coffee shop.

Genji fiddled with his fries but didn’t make an effort to pick one up. “To be honest, I’m quite surprised that Hanzo made a friend without my influence…and I’m very happy for him.”

“…Might I ask if Hanzo was born deaf? He never tries to talk, so…” Jesse bit his lip. “I’m asking because I’ve seen deaf actors on TV still able to talk, even if it’s not perfect.”

Genji chuckled. “No, he wasn’t born deaf. He…suffered an accident before I was born. You have to understand that Hanzo has a lot of pride; he hates feeling weak and inferior, even if it’s because of something that he can’t help.” Genji leaned back in his seat. “So far, I think I’m the only one he’s ever spoken to, using his voice.”

Jesse let all that information sink in as he let out a breath. “I…I want to learn sign language, even if it’s just a little, I want to be able to communicate with him without him havin’ to type everything out.”

Genji’s eyes widened, and Zenyatta chuckled lightly.

“I would be happy to teach you, if you would like.” Zenyatta brought his hands together. “I know both ASL and JSL, and depending on whether or not you’re a fast learner, I could easily teach you basic phrases to start out with in little time.”

Jesse grinned. “That’d be great, thank ya kindly, Zenyatta.”

Zenyatta shook his head. “It’s no troubles at all, if it’s alright with Genji…?”

Genji was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of his name. “Oh uh, yeah of course it is!” He couldn’t help but ask. “You really care about my brother, don’t you?”

Jesse smiled, though this time there was a hint of melancholy to it. “I ain’t exactly a stranger of feelin’ left out. I was always a problem kid growin’ up, and while it might not be the same thing I never really felt like I belonged anywhere. Hell, I only had one real friend I somehow managed to keep since elementary school, and that’s only ‘cause our parents have been friends since their military years.” He only realized how much of an asshole was when he started his senior year of high school, and he made the conscious decision to change who he was for the better. Thanks to that, he started making more friends, ones that he kept even until now.

Genji nodded. He felt like he understood Jesse McCree a little bit more…he felt like he could trust him to watch over his brother when he, himself, would be unable to. As Genji watched Zenyatta teaching Jesse how to say the alphabet in ASL, it was the enthusiasm and determined expression on Jesse’s face that let Genji know that Jesse was serious about this, and he smiled at the scene.

When Hanzo returned to the table, he was alarmed and confused when he noticed Zenyatta teaching Jesse basic signs. Jesse’s signing was not perfect, but it was still a lot better than Hanzo was expecting. He couldn’t help but smile a bit, and didn’t want to interrupt them, so he ended up in a conversation with his brother.

<I wonder how long Jesse will do this until he gives up.> Hanzo mused. <He wouldn’t be the first friend I’ve had and lost who was fed up with such a thing.>

Genji rolled his eyes. <You are way too hard on yourself. Jesse doesn’t seem like the type to give up.>

Hanzo frowned. <You don’t know him. Hell, _I_ don’t know him that well. >

Genji stared at Hanzo, then glanced to Jesse as he stuffed his mouth with fries. <Maybe you shouldn’t judge Jesse like that. Because that’s definitely another way to lose friends.>

Hanzo cringed as he looked into his glass of soda. His hands were slightly shaky as he signed. <I don’t want to lose him.>

<Well good, that’s already a step up from your cynicism. And believe me, NO ONE wants your negativity.> Genji grinned. <Did you know that every time you make a comment on how awful your life is, a patch of flowers wilt and die?>

Hanzo made a face. <…Genji.>

<And I’m not talking about any patch of flowers, I’m talking like…The Sound of Music, running and singing through a patch of flowers. THOSE kind of flowers.> Genji really did enjoy teasing Hanzo, much to Hanzo’s chagrin.

In retaliation, Hanzo flicked a fry at Genji’s face, which hit him in the nose. Zenyatta and Jesse looked at them, completely distracted from the sign language lessons, to wonder what was going on. Genji just laughed and begged Hanzo not to start a food fight in the fine establishment, to which Hanzo begrudgingly agreed. Jesse glanced back and forth between the two brothers, and chuckled.

“Man, gotta say I’m quite jealous of you two. You two have such a good relationship, but my sister just enjoys turning my life upside-down.” Jesse commented.

Genji laughed. “We aren’t always like this, believe me. I’m surprised we haven’t tried to kill each other yet.”

Hanzo sighed. Genji translated his signing.

“We only look like we have a good relationship because you don’t have to live with him.” Genji feigned hurt with a hand over his chest. “I take offense to that!”

Zenyatta chuckled. “Relationships of all kinds are a cherished thing. Regardless of whether it’s a familiar bond, or a romantic one, there’s always something to take and learn from them.” His eyes fell on Genji in an almost…playful yet calm manner, and it made Genji’s face turn a couple of shades darker.

Oh, Zenyatta DEFINITELY knew about Genji’s crush on him now, Hanzo thought. And if Jesse’s slight smirk was any indication, he knew as well. Now if only Jesse could catch on to Hanzo’s feelings, maybe it would make things a lot easier…on second thought, maybe he’ll just take his affections with him to the grave. That sounded like a much better idea.

.

.

.

A few days after they went out to lunch, Hanzo found Jesse sitting on the lawn by the performing arts building with an acoustic guitar in hand, strumming very softly as his mouth moved; Hanzo determined that he was singing.

He dared not interrupt Jesse, and instead opted to kneel behind a bush by the student union, readied his camera, and snapped a photo. He altered the shutter speed, and snapped another photo. With this scene, so peaceful and pure, he knew that the best way to emphasize Jesse was to increase the contrast to almost maximum. He made a mental note once it was time to go into the dark room. He took a few more shots, each one changing the shutter speed so he could have a variety to compare to.

He brought his eyes from behind the lens to look at the man himself, his posture relaxed. Whatever Jesse was singing out, it must have meant a lot to him.

A poke to his shoulder jolted him and he immediately glared in the direction of the unknown person. Upon turning, he saw that it was none other than Fareeha, the woman that was with Jesse at the coffee shop.

She smirked at him, and spoke as pronounced as she could with her, Hanzo presumed, accent. “You know, you could just go up to him and ask for photos instead of taking them in secret. I’m sure he’d be thrilled.” She laughed. “He’s always loved attention.”

Hanzo grew flustered and subconsciously fiddled with his bridge piercing; something he knew he shouldn’t do but he wasn’t used to being caught off guard like this. He then grabbed his phone from his back pocket and typed out his response.

_I’m perfectly comfortable here. I wouldn’t want to distract him from playing._

Fareeha looked at the phone thoughtfully. “Somehow, I don’t think he would mind too much, if it was you.”

Hanzo tilted his head in confusion. Fareeha placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Jesse considers you to be a friend. He always makes time for friends.” She glanced at Jesse’s form, who stopped singing to re-check each string to see if they were tuned correctly, then back at Hanzo. “Do you take photos of him often?”

Hanzo looked down at his camera, unable to type or do anything, which Fareeha took as a ‘yes’. In fact, to her it was almost scary how…vulnerable Hanzo look at that point in time.

“I’m not judging you.” She assured him. “Just as long as you make every picture count.” She winked at him, to which he nodded slowly with a dumbstruck expression. Fareeha couldn’t help but think that under that aloof exterior, Hanzo was still like everyone else with a crush. He still acted like an idiot, even if he didn’t realize it.

“Maybe you should show Jesse your photos sometime. He might appreciate them.” Although in the back of her mind, Fareeha was thinking that Jesse’s ego might also grow larger than it already was, but she chose to let that point slide.

Hanzo bit his lip and typed.

_No. It would be inappropriate of me…I do not deserve Jesse’s kindness, nor would I deserve his love._

Fareeha’s eyebrow rose. “So…you admit that you love him?”

Hanzo realized his blunder a second too late, and his face grew a deep shade of red. After what felt like an eternity to him, he nodded.

“Hah…Jesse sure is a lucky guy.” Fareeha commented. “Not that I have any experience in this sort of thing, but I don’t think that’s something you can decide on your own.”

Hanzo wanted to shrug off that comment, but he was unable to think of something to rebuke her. To him, for now, he was perfectly content with watching and admiring from afar; that’s how it’s always been…so what makes now any different? What changed over the course of the years that made him wish he could just go for it and not hesitate? He hated it; that feeling of not having complete control over his thoughts.

_You are right. However, I can still decide for myself whether or not that is the best course for me._

Fareeha grinned and gave him a strong pat on the back, which almost caused him to drop his camera if his reflexes weren’t spot-on. “…I like you. You should hang out with Jesse and I sometime…though I’m not sure if clubs and barhopping are your thing.”

Hanzo smirked.

_Thank you, but I highly doubt the bars you frequent would have high quality sake._

Fareeha bid him a last pat and walked over to Jesse, giving him a ‘fond’ hello by knocking the cowboy hat off his head. Hanzo couldn’t tell what she was saying since she wasn’t facing him, but Jesse seemed amused and even looked to be laughing. If he could just get the angle right…

*SNAP*

The sound of the shutter went off, and Hanzo thought he captured the light really well. The subject, aside from Jesse, was also Fareeha who effectively framed the centerpiece. Hanzo couldn’t wait to get it developed.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final projects are due!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize, but the POV of this chapter is a little confusing. Most of it is in Jesse's POV, but when it gets to the final presentations, the POVs switch between Jesse and Hanzo because I wanted to portray what both of them were feeling, and not just one or the other. Thank you all for reading!
> 
> Text in < > is sign language.

“Jesse, wake up! Dad’s got breakfast waiting for you.”

Jesse groaned as he rolled over in his sleep, dreading yet another day of classes. Only four months have past since the beginning of the semester, and yet it felt like an eternity. At this point, he wanted nothing more than to hibernate and dream…if only he could remember his dreams, anyways. But that was beside the point; honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that his father was a professor at the university he attended, he would have skipped for today. Maybe he can still do so, if he went to eat lunch off campus and ‘conveniently’ forgot to go back to class.

…On second thought, maybe facing his father’s parental rage wasn’t worth one day of freedom. Gabriel Reyes had a reputation as being one of the strictest professors at the university, and he was even more strict on his kids, if one could believe it. Of course, Jesse knew that his dad meant well and only wanted both him and his little sister, Sombra, to grow up without regrets, but sometimes it just got plain tiring.

Although there was one ray of sunshine that seeped its way into Jesse’s heart and mind since the semester began. His mind slowly drifted onto Hanzo, the young man one year his senior whom he saved from those assholes at the arboretum. At the time, he had no idea Hanzo had a disability, but finding out about it made Jesse’s blood boil when he thought about how awful those guys treated Hanzo. Hanzo didn’t seem like the type to need protection despite his inability to hear, but Jesse just couldn’t stand around and watch. His legs started moving on their own when one of those guys pushed Hanzo into the pond. He couldn’t help but notice the way Hanzo looked at him when he offered his hand to help him out of the pond. It was like a mixture of thanks and a slight hint of suspicion, but most of all he could tell how embarrassed Hanzo was. The most glaring evidence of that was how red Hanzo’s face had gotten, and Jesse wondered if Hanzo didn’t want to be seen in such a vulnerable state.

And then as luck would have it, Hanzo was in the same photography class that his dad practically forced him to take. Hanzo certainly made it easier to understand, because even Ana Amari couldn’t help him figure out what the hell ‘exposure’ is and how it works. Before this class, he just took pictures with his phone or with Sombra’s fancy camera with the giant interchangeable lenses. He’s never even held a film camera before, and now he was practically being thrust into the world of black and white photography with no experience in the field. He wished he could have taken some drawing class if it didn’t require prerequisites to take.

Somehow, despite the language barrier between them, he and Hanzo were able to create a friendship. Jesse always cherished the friends he made; has done so since middle school if he were to be more specific. His first friend, Fareeha, he met due to her mother and his father being good friends since their military days. They met in first grade, and his first memory of Fareeha was her taking all of the blue and yellow crayons for herself because she refused to use any other color. Jesse tried to sneak a blue from her, a few growls and biting here and there, and thus they were sent to the principal’s office. Ana looked at the both of us with disapproval, while Gabriel just laughed at how ridiculous the situation.

He’s made other friends over the years too, some of them, including Fareeha, he’s kept all the way to college. Hell, Jamison and Lena still pester him to spend the night at his place despite them both having fully functioning dorm rooms on campus. And yet, all of those friendships felt different from his friendship with Hanzo. He didn’t mean that in a bad way by any means, but there were some days he felt like he was trying to tiptoe around certain subjects, and other times it felt very intimate to the point where he could clearly see Hanzo blushing and himself feeling his chest tighten. He was no fool, he could tell what was happening; he even had Genji and Zenyatta teaching him sign language over the past few months to better communicate with Hanzo without the need for passing around phones and messages. But truth be told, he’s never had a relationship before…and no, he didn’t count that time in high school when his friend Angela asked him to be in a pretend relationship with him to get some of the douchebags from following her. They ended up fake-dating for almost a year before they got the message (and Angela threatened them with a nasty glare and the cracking of knuckles). But he’s never had a REAL relationship, one where he could call someone ‘darling’ without the hint of playful teasing.

God, why did college have to be such a—

“JESSITO!”

A sudden heavy force plummeted onto his body and he gasped in shock. Sombra had apparently snuck into his room and jumped onto his supposedly sleeping form.

“Jesus fuck, Sombra, you almost knocked the wind outta me!” Jesse nudged her with enough force to make her topple over. “Get off!”

Sombra grinned. “Someone’s in a bad mood. Didn’t get enough sleep? Ohhh, did you have a wet dream about that Hanzo guy you kept talking about with Fareeha?”

“Wait, what?!” Jesse was dumbfounded. “No I—wait, how did you even know…” He glared at her. “I told you to stop hacking into my phone!”

She rolled her eyes. “Please, with the passwords you come up with, a baby could unlock it. Or Jack.”

Jack was their father’s colleague at the university, and also his best friend back when they were in the military. Gabriel used to tell them stories about how he had to constantly save Jack’s ass from his stupid decisions. Gabriel and Jack also had so much sexual tension that all it took was them being in the same room for literally everyone else to feel it. They’ve definitely hooked up more than twice, no matter how much they would vehemently deny it.

“My passwords are just fine, you’re just too gifted at hackin’ for your own good.”

Sombra smirked. “I’ll take that as a compliment.” She then proceeded to forcibly pull Jesse up from his bed. “Now c’mon, Dad made waffles and bacon!” She also muttered something about experimenting with mint and blueberries, which Jesse sighed at.

As they both made their way downstairs, a few yawns and dragging heels here and there, they were greeted by the harsh smell of something burning.

“Oh, so you guys are awake after all.” Gabriel scowled at the pot on the stove. “Tried to make some homemade blueberry syrup but it might have scorched a bit.”

Jesse helped himself to a plate stacked with waffles and grabbed a few pieces of bacon. Sombra took just two pieces of waffles and a stack of bacon, which Jesse yelled at her to save some for the rest of them. Sombra just stuck her tongue out and they both sat down at the table. Gabriel sat down moments later.

“So how are classes going, Jesse? I heard from Ana that you’ve been struggling in photography lately.” Gabriel commented with a critical eye.

Jesse took a bite of bacon. “In my defense I didn’t even wanna take that class. I don’t get this…art stuff, nor am I good at it.”

“That’s exactly why you need it.” Gabriel pointed a piece of waffle on a fork in Jesse’s direction. “Art is important, no matter the form.”

Sombra got a cat-like grin on her face. “I’m sure he just loooves his class. He met a living piece of artwork, alright.”

Jesse glared at her, while Gabriel rolled his eyes. “Stop teasing your brother.” Gabriel then grew wary. “…You are using protection, right?”

Jesse nearly choked on his breakfast and had a coughing fit. “D-Dad, what the hell?! We ain’t like that!”

Gabriel was skeptical. “Really? Sombra made it seem like you guys were pretty serious.”

Sombra snickered. “Oops.” And she hastily ran out of the dining room, leaving Gabriel and Jesse to awkwardly stare at each other.

“Okay, look, Jesse.” Gabriel sighed. “I don’t care who you’re interested in, so long as you keep your grades up and they’re not some sort of criminal. He’s not a criminal, right?”

Jesse murmured a “No”, to which Gabriel nodded. “So…What’s he like?”

“Do we have to talk about this now? Shouldn’t we get to university or somethin’?” Jesse groaned, which made Gabriel chuckle.

“We still have an hour to kill, _mijo_.” Gabriel stood up and walked to the sink, placing his dishes in and turning on the hot water. “If you don’t want to talk about it, fine, but you know I’m asking because I care about you and your safety.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I get it. But Hanzo ain’t exactly dangerous. Pricklier than a cactus, maybe, but only when he’s threatened.”

Gabriel hummed. “So his name’s Hanzo? Huh…you should bring him to dinner some time so I can meet him.”

“We ain’t even datin’, Dad!” Jesse huffed.

Gabriel sighed, his expression obviously unconvinced but he left it at that. After saying bye to Sombra (who walked herself to school just down the street), Jesse and Gabriel drove down to the university to park. Parking was hell, as usual, even for professors; Gabriel always said he was going to complain about it to the school but Jesse had a slight feeling nothing came out of that one. So to make it easier, Gabriel just dropped Jesse off by the art department classrooms.

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“With only about a month left in the semester, I will now give you the details for your final project.” Ana stated to the class as she passed around the instructions. “Black and white photography only, which is a given, of course.” She chuckled to herself. “I want you all to be as creative as possible, so the theme is a little broad. What I want is a collage of photographs that tell a story about who you are as a person. It can be about what you like, how you perceive yourself…what makes you, you.” She changed the slide on the PowerPoint to a series of photos. “Now I don’t want random pictures of things that you enjoy.” She placed her hands on her hips. “If I see a simple photo of a pizza followed by, oh I don’t know…a photo of make-up or a baseball, you will fail this project. All of the photos have to _connect_ , and that connection has to lead back to yourself.” Ana smiled. “You have until the week of finals to work on it. I will let you all out early to get a head-start on this, as I’m SURE everyone will do.” Ana had that knowing look in her eyes, which made more than a few students to laugh. Once she excused everyone, Jesse groaned and got up from his seat.

A tap on his shoulder revealed Hanzo signing <Are you alright?>

Jesse knew that much, but still not enough to sign a coherent sentence. <I’m not sure what…> Crap, what’s the word for ‘project’? He was fumbling with his hand signs, but thankfully Hanzo seemed to get the idea. He took out his phone and typed something.

_I would think it would be pretty easy to take photos that represent yourself. Maybe a couple of western-themed photos._

Jesse rose an eyebrow at Hanzo and chuckled. “Was that a joke? Okay, wise-guy, what would YOUR theme for your project be?”

Hanzo thought about it for a moment, before typing once again.

_Flowers in different settings._

“…Flowers…? Forgive me Darlin’ but I’m a little surprised you’re interested in that sorta thing.” Although Jesse did like the idea.

Hanzo huffed.

_Have you ever heard of flower language? That’s one way of describing yourself without being obvious._

Jesse’s heard about flower language, but never thought of it as such a big deal until now. “And the different settings?”

A smirk that sent a chill up Jesse’s spine.

_Just wait and find out. I can’t share all of my ideas…what if you steal them?_

Jesse grinned. “Shoot, guess ya caught me.”

Hanzo rolled his eyes in a playful way.

_Guess we both have a lot of work to do. I have to get to another class, but let me know if you need help?_

Jesse sighed with relief and smiled. He signed <Thank you.>, which Hanzo graciously nodded. They both went their separate ways for now.

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.

“God, Hanzo has such an amazin’ idea for his final and I barely even know what to do.” Jesse complained to Fareeha while snacking on some fries. “How do you even describe yourself? I think I forgot how to.”

Fareeha dipped a fry in some ketchup. “You’re overthinking this whole project thing.”

Jesse sighed loudly. “Easy for you to say! What do criminal justice majors have? A paper and exam? That shit is all straightforward…I can’t think outside the box or whatever in Sam Hill they call it…god I don’t know how artistic people do it.”

“Not everything is about thinking outside the box.” Fareeha reassured him. “Just…think about it. What do you like? What are things that make you, you. Just shout out anything and we can work off of it.”

Jesse took a deep breath and began to think. Okay, he liked Westerns, that was a given. He also liked video games. And he liked traveling, especially on a road trip to see all the sights along the way. Even better, if he went a road trip with friends…hell, going _anywhere_ with his friends if just a hangout day—

A lightbulb clicked in his head. “My friends…”

Fareeha stared at him as if he grew a second head. “…What?”

“I wouldn’t be nothin’ if not for my friends. You were my first ever friend, and practically my sister.” Jesse smiled brightly. “And you know how much of a delinquent I was back throughout middle school and high school, right? I didn’t have anybody…but then I started to change myself, and the new friends I made helped me.” Jesse reached for his camera and without thinking about it, took a picture of Fareeha. The sound of the shutter surprised her. “I’ll take pictures of my friends and put them in a collage. They could be doing unique things in them…things that make them, them…and it turn, it’s what makes me, me.”

Fareeha rose an eyebrow and whistled. “Wow. And you thought about this all by yourself? Just now?”

“Oh hah hah.” Jesse playfully bonked Fareeha in the forehead. She laughed and pushed him in the shoulder. “Only problem is how to get pictures of everyone within the time needed. It takes at least two days to fully develop the photos, and I only have like…three weeks.”

“I’m sure if you explain the situation, they’ll come running to help you. Or flying, in some cases.” Fareeha smiled. “We have some damn loyal friends, after all.”

“Damn straight.” Jesse grinned as he stared through his camera. He pointed it at Fareeha once more, but this time she brought up her hand to swiftly cover the lens.

“Nope, not this time.” She chuckled. “At least get my good angle.”

Jesse rolled his eyes. “Please, every part of you is a good angle.”

Fareeha huffed. “Not sure if that’s a compliment, coming from you.” Jesse flipped her off, and she laughed. “Alright, alright. Oh, and Hanzo’s your friend now, right?” Jesse ignored the fact that she put the world _friend_ in quotations. “So obviously you have to take a picture of him.”

Jesse nodded. “Yeah, and I know just the way. Ain’t gonna tell him what my project is, just…gotta catch him in a candid photo.”

Fareeha really wanted to tell Jesse just how ironic that was, considering that’s what Hanzo’s been doing with him. But she also knew that it was their problem, and thus she should stay out of it. For now, anyway.

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“So how many photos you got done?”

Hanzo didn’t take his eyes off of a cluster of daffodils. He was on his knees, camera close enough to see the details in the petals, and in the background…was a cracked sidewalk. Jesse stared at the sidewalk, then back to the flowers, then to Hanzo, trying to figure out the meaning behind it. Realizing that Hanzo couldn’t see his lips from where he was kneeling, he waited for the sound of Hanzo’s shutter to click before tapping his shoulder lightly. When Hanzo turned, he spoke again.

“How many photos you got done?”

Hanzo contemplated it, then glanced at the daffodils he just took a picture of. He pointed at Jesse’s hand, and after a moment of confusion, Jesse hesitantly placed his hand in front of Hanzo. Hanzo then used his right index finger to lightly write out his answer.

_Ten._

Jesse was left speechless. It’s only been a week since they got the assignment, and yet Hanzo’s already got that many taken? Jesse’s barely gotten four out of the way, and that’s not taking into account on whether or not the photos come out well.

“How many do you have left?”

Hanzo chuckled, and that caused Jesse to get a little weak at the knees. _Not now._ Jesse scratched the back of his neck as he watched Hanzo type something on his phone. God he needed to learn sign language, and _fast._

_This was my last one. Tomorrow I plan on getting them developed._

Well Jesse sure felt like he was just wasting time, now. He couldn’t help but let out an awkward chuckle as if he expected anything less from this man. He felt that fluttery feeling in his chest again.

“So…can you tell me what the symbolism is?” Jesse knelt down next to Hanzo and stared at the daffodils. “Been tryin’ to figure it out but can’t wrap my mind around it.”

Hanzo had a thoughtful smile on his face.

_Can’t wait until presentations?_

Jesse chuckled. “I ain’t exactly a waitin’ type of guy.”

Hanzo laughed along with him.

_Clearly. I’ll tell you this one and ONLY this one. Everything else you wait._

Jesse nodded, to which Hanzo began furiously texting. It was like watching those hackers on television. Or people who get way too into StarCraft.

_Daffodils represent rebirth and new beginnings. For me, that means a lot. I’ve worked hard to overcome what many believe to be a handicap, and I’ve been at peace with it for most of my life. To me, my deafness was never a handicap, or a burden. It just made me different, and I was alright with that. It makes me who I am as a person. That was the theme of this project, no? As for the cracked sidewalk…it’s been a hard, tiring journey to get to where I am. I still have a lot to learn, but no matter what happens, I plan on making the most of it. I’m no longer afraid of what people might think. Sure, it still gets to me when I see people looking at me funny, but that’s just proof that I’m human._

Jesse was silent throughout the entirety of reading the text. He felt like he knew even more about Hanzo, in a different light than just trying to figure it all out from observing. This was how Hanzo thought about himself. Jesse couldn’t wait to see what other flowers he’s taken pictures of. When he looked up from the phone, he saw Hanzo staring through his lens again, at the daffodils. Maybe he wanted to get a picture at every angle, but either way, that was the moment he chose to take. He slowly rose his camera up to his face, adjusted the shutter and exposure as quietly as he could, and…

*SNAP*

Hanzo obviously didn’t notice that his picture was taken, and for a split second Jesse felt uneasy about taking someone’s picture without saying anything, but that was definitely the shot he would use for his project. The sunlight on his back that created the right amount of shadow, his eye looking through the camera while taking more pictures of a flower so stunning; Hanzo himself, Jesse thought, was beautiful.

After that day, Jesse managed to get in touch with all of the friends he had planned to take pictures of for his final project. He had already taken photos of Fareeha; she was holding a picture of her and Jesse when they were little, standing side-by-side with Ana and Gabriel beside them both. That was the first photo they took together, when they first hung out as friends with their parents supervision. Very fitting, considering Jesse knew Fareeha the longest out of all of his friends. She was start.

The next one who answered was Lena, who unfortunately couldn’t visit from England but that was alright; Jesse took a photo of Lena during a video chat, making sure to get the boundaries of the video as well as part of his computer. This was how they communicated ever since Lena moved to England for university. She was always an energetic girl, someone Jesse met in high school. He missed her dearly, but it was always Lena’s dream of going to a fancy university in London, so he was happy that she had achieved it.

Jamison responded not long after, and ended up on Jesse’s doorstep without warning, carrying a six-pack and asking if he could use the barbeque, all with a giant grin on his face. Jesse hugged him tightly, having missed the loveable moron. Jamison was doing well, he was going to university up in northern California, somewhere by the bay area, and just happened to be down in Los Angeles visiting his folks when he got the mass text message from Jesse. So there he was, fiddling with Gabriel’s barbeque; normally Gabriel never let _anyone_ touch his cooking shit, but he knew that Jamison knew his way around it, and damn did he make some mean baby-back ribs. Jesse took a picture capturing this moment, of Jamie talking to Gabriel while flipping over the rack of ribs, the large grin still plastered on his face. Jamie was definitely much crazier in high school, but Jesse sort of missed that, after not seeing Jamie in person for a couple of months.

Angela was also attending university in Los Angeles, and so Jesse went to her instead of the other way around. She was going to UCLA to study medicine, and despite having hardly any spare time due to her studies, she made the time and effort to meet Jesse with a smile on her face. Jesse chose to take a picture of her underneath a giant oak tree, looking straight at the person behind the camera, and her right hand going off from the camera’s shot. Her hand was on Jesse’s forehead, and the shot itself was very powerful, Jesse thought. Angela was always seen as the doctor of their friend group, which was a good thing considering how much they all got hurt. Between Jamie’s antics, Lena’s inability to stand still for more than five seconds, and Fareeha and Jesse’s competitions to one-up each other, Angela’s life was never a cake walk even before graduating high school. Jesse was grateful to have met Angela.

And how could Jesse forget about Genji and Zenyatta? He hunted them down in the student union, somehow managing to snag one of the comfy couches. Genji was sketching some things in his sketchbook, and Zenyatta was studying for his own finals when Jesse approached them with his camera. Genji immediately knew what it was and talked about how Hanzo’s been going to the dark rooms nonstop for the past few days to get his project developed. Jesse never doubted it and was really happy that Hanzo was almost done, but it further told him that he himself needed to hurry so he had time in the dark rooms as well. And so Jesse explained what his idea was, and took a shot of Genji with his arm around Zenyatta’s shoulder and pulled him close, with a giant grin on his face. Zenyatta in turn had his hands sign the word for ‘friends’, both of his index fingers intertwined in the final photo.

The developing process may have taken someone else two days, but for Jesse it might as well have been a week. Overall each photo came out the way he wanted them to, although a few had water stains from the chemicals. He hoped that these photos would be enough for his final…they did mean something to him, even if there weren’t as many photos as what Hanzo had. Now he just had to put everything together.

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.

“Are you kidding me?” Genji crossed his arms and glared at his professor. Hanzo was right next to Genji, looking a bit flustered and tried to prevent his brother from straight-up punching the professor. “Look, my brother wants me to help him present his final. I’m not presenting my final until tomorrow and you expect me to sit here, listening to other people, when I should be a few rooms down?”

“And what could you possibly help him with?” The professor scoffed. “It’s his own project, he can do it himself.”

Genji clenched his fists and grit his teeth. “If he says he needs help, he needs help. And I’m going to help him. I don’t give a damn about fucking participation points if it means helping my brother.”

The professor pointed a finger at Genji. “Don’t use that tone with me. If you don’t come to class today, I will fail you.”

“What? That’s an abuse of power!” Genji yelled, causing a few other students in the room to stare at them. “My brother is deaf for fuck’s sake!” He swatted the finger away. “You know what, fuck my grade. I’ll gladly fail and retake the course if I have to.” He then grabbed Hanzo’s arm and stormed out of the classroom.

Hanzo stopped him in the hallway and grew concerned. <What did he say? He was speaking too fast for me to follow.>

Genji sighed. <He said he’d fail me if I missed his class, despite the fact that I don’t even present today.>

<What? You have to go back to class right now.> Hanzo then attempted to pull Genji back to the classroom, but Genji put up resistance.

<No. If that prick of a professor wants to be in charge that badly, then I don’t give a damn if I fail it.> Genji huffed. <I’d rather help you than abide by that asshole any day.>

Hanzo shot his brother a look of complete disapproval. <One of these days your behavior is going to bite you in the ass.>

Genji grinned. <And I’ll welcome it with a closed fist. Now let’s get to your classroom.>

When they both ran into the classroom, most of the others were already setting up their assignments on the wall. Hanzo immediately spotted Jesse and his cowboy hat, who was speaking to Ms. Amari about something. Genji tapped Hanzo’s shoulder.

<Do you want to set up your photos? I can help if you want.> Genji signed, to which he nodded. Luckily there was still a spot on the wall facing the majority of students, so they took out the photos and tried to set them up in a way that wasn’t just putting them in rows. Hanzo instructed Genji to place them in a zigzag pattern, two rows.

McCree walked up to the two of them and whistled. “Fancy work you got there.”

Genji laughed. “Where’s your work, Cowboy?”

“Professor gave me permission to present mine by holdin’ them up.” Jesse smiled softly. “Seemed like the best way to do it.”

Genji nodded; Hanzo turned around at that moment and accidently ran into Jesse’s chest, and was startled.

Jesse laughed. “Whoa there. Nice to see you too.”

The blush on Hanzo’s face was very apparent, as was his embarrassment. Jesse smiled sheepishly. Behind Hanzo, Jesse could see Genji’s teasing expression with the waggling of the eyebrows. Hanzo must have noticed the bewilderment on Jesse’s face pointed directly behind him, because he immediately turned around and poked Genji in the side.

“Anyways, what’re doin’ here, Genji?” Jesse asked.

Genji grumbled. “Gonna help Hanzo present his assignment. Would have been here sooner if it weren’t for my asshole professor.”

Soft clapping from Ms. Amari told everyone that class was going to begin.

“Well it’s the final day of this class, and I must say that all of these photos around me look so wonderful.” Ana smiled. “I can tell a lot of work has gone into these projects. Let us begin.”

The first student who went up to present was a young woman, showing pictures of dolls in handmade clothes of all sorts. Jesse, Hanzo, and even Genji were intrigued by it, especially after the woman said that she was taught how to sew by her parents, and wished to go into the fashion industry. They could tell that even if the dresses were for dolls, they were very well-made and fancy. One dress even reminded Genji of those couture gowns one would see walking down during New York Fashion Week.

Hanzo chose to present next. Both he and Genji stood on either side of the photos. Jesse noticed a few confused looks as to why there was a new student presenting, but decided to keep their mouths shut and rolled with it.

“Hey guys, I’m Genji…Hanzo’s younger brother.” Genji announced to the class. “I’m going to be translating all of Hanzo’s signs for you all.”

Ana did that soft smirk that Jesse knew all too well. Hanzo then started signing at a rapid pace, definitely not the pace Jesse was used to. He couldn’t even tell what they were, and was blown away.

Genji began to speak. He kept up with Hanzo’s signing at an impeccable pace. “The subject I chose were flowers. Nature means a lot to me, and I figured that flower language was an effective way to show both.” Genji pointed to the first photo. “This photo is of a gladiolus flower. Gladiolus represents remembrance, faithfulness, and honor. Honor is a big part of my family; my father was and is a strict, stern man who never accepts failures. He taught us that the honor we carried was rooted from our ancestors in Japan, and we were to never disappoint them.”

Hanzo took a deep breath, which caused Genji to pause for a moment. Jesse felt that this must be very hard for Hanzo to do, to expose himself so much like this to a room full of complete strangers.

Genji resumed when he saw Hanzo nod to him with his hands ready. “Our father, while harsh on us, is also kind and protective, and allowed us to be anything we wished to be. He was very supportive of me, from hiring the best sign language teachers, to letting me pursue my photography. He has always been there for me, and I believe that it was because of him that I’ve come this far, despite everything. I never want to forget how it all started.”

Genji glanced at Hanzo then at the audience, most of whom were very into the story being told. Jesse, in fact, was almost on the edge of his seat. As Hanzo continued to explain the flowers and their meanings with Genji’s help, it of course ended with the daffodil. Jesse already knew the meaning of that one, but somehow it felt even more powerful to look at Hanzo signing it while Genji spoke. He could now see the emotions written on Hanzo’s face, instead of reading it through text; that sense of accepting who he is. Jesse couldn’t help but smile, and once Hanzo’s presentation was done, the entire class applauded. Ana playfully chastised Hanzo for taking up so much time with his project, but then told him that it was completely worth it with a smile. Hanzo was able to understand and bowed to her, signing <Thank you>. Once he sat down next to Jesse, Jesse tapped his shoulder. Hanzo glanced at him.

<You did good.> Jesse signed to him.

Hanzo looked at him with widened eyes. <You actually signed a complete sentence.>

Jesse shrugged with a smile. <Kinda.>

<And you understood what I said!> Hanzo’s hands were shaking; Jesse put his hands over Hanzo’s, and the shaking instantly stopped.

He then brought his hands up to sign once more. <I’ve been practicing. So you don’t have to use the phone to show me what you want to say.>

Hanzo was stunned into silence, and Jesse couldn’t help but chuckle at that. Hanzo slowly smiled in return.

After the others went and did their presentations, Jesse ended up going last. He asked Genji to sign for Hanzo, because he wanted him to know what he was saying and he didn’t trust his lips to move at a steady pace. Genji instantly agreed, and sat in Jesse’s spot next to Hanzo.

Jesse cleared his throat. “Alright, so. What defines me are my friends. Growin’ up, I was a troublemaker. I only had one real friend at the start, named Fareeha.” He held up the photo of Fareeha holding the picture of her and Jesse. “My dad and Ms. Amari were good buddies long before I was born.” Ana chuckled and crossed her arms with mild amusement on her face. “I met her daughter in elementary school, and guess she taught me how to trust my instincts. I mean, I already knew how to do that, but she kinda literally beat me up about it.”

That got a laugh out of some of the students, even Hanzo and Genji chuckled a little. Jesse felt confident. “Next up is my good friend Lena. Met her in high school; we were from two different worlds. I was the outcast who would smoke behind the bleachers, and she was the well-to-do preppy kid who always followed the rules. Thanks to her, I was able to be more sociable and even got my grades up now that I wasn’t hangin’ with the wrong group no more. Still haven’t quit smokin’ though.”

Jesse swapped the photo once more. “My friend Jamie. Real name’s Jamison, and lemme tell you that his skills with a barbeque are amazin’.” Jesse grinned. “He’s like a wild card, kinda crazy but means well. Taught me how to be adventurous and live life to the fullest without regrets.”

Another swap. “Angela. She’s studyin’ medicine at UCLA, hopin’ to be a renowned doctor and surgeon. She’s the one who patched us all up whenever we did somethin’ stupid, even back in high school. She taught me how to take better care of myself.”

The next photo had Genji outright beaming, and Hanzo to look in mild surprise. “Genji and Zenyatta. Just met both of them early in the semester, but I feel like I’ve known them for years. Genji and Zenyatta have been teachin’ me sign language, and opened my eyes to the bigger picture. I’m happy to have met them both.”

Genji nudged Hanzo’s shoulder, as if to say “See? He views me as a friend.” Hanzo rolled his eyes at that.

And finally, Jesse revealed the last photo. The one he took of Hanzo taking a picture of the daffodils with absolute focus. Hanzo’s eyes widened, shocked to find out that Jesse took a picture of him in that moment. But why was _he_ included in the project? It felt so…odd to Hanzo, to see himself in a photo like this. He hated having his picture taken, and the only time he tolerated it was during family outings or gatherings. And yet, for some reason he didn’t seem to mind finding out that Jesse made him feel so vulnerable. No, he definitely knew the reason why. He just didn’t want to get his hopes up and have his affections crushed.

“Like his brother, I only met Hanzo this semester, and yet I’d like to think that we’ve known each other for a lifetime. Before him, I’ve never had a friend who was deaf, or any major disability for that matter. I was afraid I was steppin’ on eggshells, to be honest. Didn’t want to accidently offend or somethin’.”

Hanzo chuckled, along with Genji who was still signing.

“If he’s taught me anything, it’s to not be afraid to be who you are. Believe it or not, even now I’ve always been a little self-conscious. But Hanzo doesn’t care about what people think of him. He just lives his life and ignores anything that isn’t worth his time. To accept yourself and live, that’s the type of man I wanna be. My friends mean the world to me, and they define who I am.”

The classroom applauded, as did Ana. Jesse thanked her for everything she’s done for him as well, to which Ana told him that she’ll give him a hug later. Jesse smiled and sat back down (after he told Genji to get up from the seat that originally belonged to him).

Ana smiled to the class. “You all did wonderfully. I will grade them this weekend…anyone who wishes to get their photos back, I will be here on your scheduled finals day in my office. Otherwise I will keep them. You are all dismissed, and have a nice summer break.”

Jesse waited for Hanzo outside the classroom. Genji hastily ran out, yelling something that he had a date with Zenyatta and had to hurry back to the apartment. Jesse laughed and waved him goodbye; Hanzo emerged from the room shortly after.

<So guess Genji succeeded in wooing the monk?> Jesse signed with an amused look on his face.

Hanzo pinched the bridge of his nose before answering. <Apparently he’s been teasing my brother because he knew exactly what Genji’s intentions were and still hadn’t said anything. Zenyatta’s just been playing a game to see how long it would take for Genji to confess.>

Jesse laughed. <In other words, Genji was just being an idiot.>

<When is he not?> Hanzo rolled his eyes. <Anyway, I wanted to…> Hanzo paused for a moment. <I wanted to thank you for the words you said. About me. They mean a lot…> Hanzo blushed. <Look, I’m not used to this whole…sharing feelings thing.>

Jesse smiled. <Should I tease you like how Zenyatta did with Genji?>

Hanzo’s eyes widened and his hands shook. <What do you mean?>

Jesse took a deep breath. <You said you’re not used to sharing feelings, so I will instead. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feeling anything for you, Hanzo. Whenever I spend time with you, I’ve never wanted the day to end. That has to mean something to me.>

Hanzo’s mouth went agape. <Are you…confessing your feelings for me…?>

<Something like that. If you’ll accept me.> Jesse grabbed Hanzo’s hands. “I promise I’ll watch your back, if you watch mine.”

Hanzo just stared at Jesse for what felt like hours. Time seemed to be standing still, and then Hanzo frantically sifted through his folders and shoved a bunch of photos at Jesse. Jesse was confused at first, but then his eyes widened upon seeing what the photos were.

They were all of him.

He recognized the first one as the day in the arboretum; the day he saved Hanzo from those assholes. And there was one of him sitting down playing his guitar. A few others were of him walking to class, or hanging out with Fareeha. Jesse glanced at Hanzo, who had an uneasy expression, his eyes downcast and his fingers were fidgeting.

<Hanzo, these are amazing!> Jesse enthusiastically signed.

Hanzo jumped slightly. <I was afraid you might think of me as a stalker with a crush or something.>

Jesse chuckled. <I’m too flattered to think of it as stalking…for you, I’ll let it slide. Only you, though.> He winked, which made Hanzo even more flustered. <So wait, you said crush. That means you like me back?>

Hanzo sighed. <You idiot. Of course I do…it would have taken me far longer to accept you as a friend, otherwise.>

Jesse huffed. <Glad to see I’m special.> He then scratched his nose and smiled. “Pardon my straightforwardness, but may I kiss you now? Been wantin’ to do it for a while.”

Hanzo smiled. <You are forgiven. And yes you may.>

Jesse grinned and stepped closer to Hanzo until they were only about an inch apart. Jesse had to lean down a little due to the height difference, but it was worth looking into those eyes. So beautiful.

When their lips met, it sent a shock through both of them. This wasn’t a dream or some sick joke. This was real. It was tender and full of emotion, and while it only lasted a few seconds, that was better than any kiss Jesse had ever had. They parted with smiles and chuckles, and it was obvious that both of them wanted to kiss each other once more—

“Are you boys done kissing in front of my classroom?”

Jesse immediately jumped back from Hanzo, which left Hanzo very confused until he turned his head and noticed Ana giving the both of them a very stern and unamused glare. Hanzo’s face got five shades redder from the embarrassment.

“Jesus Ms. Amari, give me a heart attack why don’t you.” Jesse had his hand over his chest in mock hurt. Hanzo couldn’t help but laugh despite everything.

This was real. Hanzo couldn’t have been more grateful to have met Jesse.


End file.
